MyThings Inc, an international registry of valuable items, reports identification of stolen valuable property in collaboration with a UK auction house.
The stolen painting was identified by Trace, a MyThings service, during a due diligence search against its database of stolen valuables on behalf of a UK auction house. Auction houses routinely conduct such searches before placing items for sale.
The Trace database identified the painting as one stolen in a burglary in 1989 from a house in Cambridgeshire. When it made the identification, Trace notified the auction house which, in turn, alerted the police in Cambridgeshire.
Trace then provided Cambridgeshire Police with all the information on the Trace database, including the full list of items stolen in the same burglary and the crime details. The police have seized the painting and are now working to locate its rightful owners. Anyone with information regarding the ownership of the painting is encouraged to contact the police directly.
DC Martin Brocklebank of the Huntingdon Police, part of Cambridgeshire Force, said: "Stolen but easily recognised paintings are often kept hidden only to resurface for sale many years after the original burglary. Databases of stolen valuables such as Trace have proved to be effective tools to help us identify stolen property, prevent its resale and return them to their rightful owners."
Ken Bouche, Vice President of Trace, said: "Each identification reinforces the importance and contribution of Trace, which serves as a de facto national database of stolen valuables. The art trade is not the only industry that relies on Trace. Anyone involved in the trade of previously-owned valuables can access the easy-to-use search engine to help ensure that they are not buying or trading in property that has been reported stolen."
Trace says it has the largest online global cross-category database of stolen valuables in the world, and is the largest such registry for art, antiques and collectibles. Trace also consolidates an online international database of art and antiques looted in the Nazi era (http://www.tracelootedart.com/)
